This application relates to devices built on silicon to include photonic structures and other microstructures.
Technologies for silicon-based integrated circuits and other microfabricated structures are well developed and are still developing to allow for fabrication of a wide range of microstructured devices and systems, such as integrated circuits, microprocessors, various Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and photonic circuits. Integration of silicon with photonic devices has been under extensive research and development to integrate silicon-based structures, devices and materials with photonic devices and elements that generate, guide, control, modulate, or detect light. Silicon-on-insulator structures may be used to fabricate various photonic devices over a silicon substrate and to integrate silicon electronics such as CMOS circuits on the same silicon platform with the photonic devices.